WHO chief lands in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, epicenter of Ebola, as outbreak outpaces response

WHO chief lands in Congo to address rare Ebola outbreak amid distrust and insecurity
May 30, 2026

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WHO chief lands in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, epicenter of Ebola, as outbreak outpaces response

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The head of the World Health Organization Saturday arrived in eastern Congo’s Bunia, a city at the heart of an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola, where the virus still spreads faster than the response, despite better-organized health facilities and new aid arrivals.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is expected to visit a treatment center and meet local authorities, health workers and affected families in Bunia.

“The best way to address this is to provide all the necessary support to fight the disease at its epicenter and to continue offering every assistance needed,” Tedros told reporters late Friday.

The WHO said Friday authorities have reported 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths.

The Bundibugyo virus, the current kind of Ebola, has no approved treatment or vaccine.

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